Ever since the Nikon D3 was announced in August 2007, Canon had to play second fiddle to Nikon in this all-important apex of the professional camera market. Up to that point Canon had been the technological leader as the only one of the big manufacturers to offer a DSLR with a full frame sensor. Nikon’s D3 changed all that when it exceeded the benchmark set by the Canon 1-Ds_mkIII, Canon’s premier full-frame DSLR at the time. I don’t even count the 1-D_mkIII since it has an APS-H sensor, not full-frame. The D3 lacked slightly in resolution compared to the Canon 1-Ds III, but it made up for this in sheer performance and low-light capability. Building on this success Nikon extended on it with their legendary D3S and D3X models, respectively undisputed leaders in low-light ability and megapixel resolution. Since then Canon never seemed to catch up. The Canon 1D series seemed to have lost its spot is the limelight, and Canon had to be content with glamour in the lower semi-pro “5D mk II” segment.

This new 1D X looks set to try and regain the crown. And on paper the specifications look amazing! DPReview has a thorough overview, but I’ll just focus on the most important headline features:

Extreme low-light ability: native ISO 100-51200 (boost up to a mind-boggling ISO 204800). Compare this to the current low-light king, the Nikon D3S’ native max native ISO 12800 (boost up to ISO 102400).

In summary it promises to outgun the Nikon D3S in almost every respect. More pixels, more low-light sensitivity, more speed, bigger LCD, more video resolution, more AF points, more viewfinder magnification. You can see the full comparison of announced specifications over here.

Of course if you are already heavily invested in either manufacturer’s equipment, especially their expensive pro lenses, it might make little sense to consider a switch. But a big win for Canon here will improve their (already good) reputation among professionals, and can act as a magnet to attract up and coming pros to their camp.

Strange that Canon announced this one so early, since it will only be available in March 2012. Maybe they are just out to steal the other manufacturers’ thunder. After all, Nikon is sure to announce its new flagship sometime in the coming month(s) as well. According to rumour The Nikon D4 will probably be announced in the first quarter of 2012, maybe even in January. Let the battle begin (again)!

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13 comments

Canon or Nikon no one stays on top for long – I really admire both brands
they push each other to exceed our ( consumers ) expectations.
Consumers win all the way – having said that ~ professional photographers
know these are the two brands to go with i.t.o system and performance.

That’s a profound truth. I never get into those Nikon-Canon battles online. I like both with Canon on my top of the list. I wish I could have enough money to try them both at the same time for a year or so.
We all benefit from these technology giants. A few years ago we all enjoyed the war Intel-AMD… not anymore.

It’s been a long time coming. When I bought a 1D mark III immediately after its release, my joy was overshadowed by the impressive performance of the D3. I’ve been envious of Nikonians for the pure rationality that Nikon put into their product designs. Canon just seemed to be chasing Megapixels.

With the 1D X, Canon seems to be putting its head on a little straighter. Would have been nicer if they debuted it at 12 MP though ;)

Yes! Still I don’t think that 18 is over the top… Sounds like with the 1DX Canon made a very rational pro camera! Looking forward to the reviews.

However the Nikon rumour site is talking about a replacement for the Nikon D700 with 36 Megapixels. This sounds crazy – I would consider a mid-range pro FX camera with 12 or 18 megapixels, but not 36. So I hope that Nikon keep their megapixels to sane levels.

Yes that is the big question. Since no 1DX has been released yet we can only speculate. I would think that it will do well though – the pixel density is modest enough (50% higer than the Nikon D3S but 15% lower than the 5D Mk II) and they have the advantage of newer technology.

Interesting how one can easily follow whats on the menu only and get into
a rut. First it was high pixel numbers, then a useful low light _ low noise race.
There is so much more in various areas and levels where enhancement &
progress is sorely missed like handling excessive bright light, bright light with flash fill in e.g high jumper at the olympics backlit by powerful sun – here one would hope for 2000 to 8000 flash sync with auto iso adjustments. What about a camera that can be upgraded – instead of buying bodies all the time with one or two little improvements; akin to buying a p.c. with expansion in mind – buy more ram later, increase graphics card etc.
How about proper focusing in pitch darkness – eg the minolta 7000i film camera from 1986 does a better job than most Canon & Nikon AF systems today. A program shift ability with flash would be a handy advancement too.
Often program shift is only available without flash. We need a comprehensive multidimensional improvement in cameras for creativity -improvement akin to cars = comfort and safety not just KW and speed ..Very often Canon and Nikon copy each other until the race becomes jaded and they go onto the next fad. They should improve in all directions simultaneously before demanding our new bucks every year for one boring
minimal incremental improvement on the last model or the last competitor.
Hope the creative directors at Nikon and Canon are taking new bold leaps , multiple leaps in creativity – perhaps get photographers on board who have had the experience of shooting and earning a living with cameras on their management team. Any cameras for left handed photographers ? – often they are considered arty…
We need more leaders like the late mr Jobs from Apple.
My humble opinion – Basil Parsons.